New York Times Slammed for Whitewashing Fatah Leader’s Terrorist Past

A New York Times opinion piece identifies its writer, Marwan Barghouti, as “a Palestinian leader and parliamentarian.”

That isn’t an error, that is an intentional deception, responded Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, in an editorial in Times of Israel. “Marwan Barghouti is a murderer,” wrote Laipd. “He was convicted in a civilian court on five separate counts of murder of innocent civilians. He was involved in dozens of attempted terror attacks. He caused people to lose their families and led to people being maimed. He destroyed lives.”

Lapid added, “Barghouti is in prison not for his views, nor for his desire for a Palestinian state. He chose the path of terror, murder and violence.”

Barghouti was head of the Fatah supreme committee in the West Bank and leader of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, which between September 2000 and April 2002 carried out thousands of terror attacks against Israel.

The following are some of the more heinous terror attacks for which he is responsible:

Jun 12, 2001 – The murder of a Greek Orthodox monk on the road to Ma’ale Adumim.

Jan 17, 2002 – The shooting attack during a bat mitzva celebration at a banquet hall in Hadera. Six Israelis were killed in this attack, 26 were injured.